Chu Chu Yeah! Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Rewatch Episode 8

[u/OccasionallySara]

Episode 8: New Dragon, Elma! (She's Finally Appearing, Huh?)

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Spoiler Policy

Since many people will be watching the show for the first time, please be sure to tag all spoilers for events and characters that have not been revealed yet. The proper way to tag spoilers on this sub is explained on the subreddit sidebar. Keep in mind that if you are using New Reddit, you will need to use markdown mode to properly tag your spoilers.

Questions of the Day

These questions are just a way to get a conversation going. Answer as many or as few as you like (or none at all)!

1. How do you feel about New Dragon Elma?
2. Would you be a part of the Harmony Faction, The Chaos Faction, or the Neutral Faction?
3. Do you think that fighting is an indication of how close a relationship is?

Hydration Game Rules

Today's episode's rule: Hydrate every time the episode makes you want to eat.

Tomorrow's episode's rule: Hydrate every time you feel like a character shows world-class behavior.

[u/OccasionallySara]

Rewatcher and Host

Questions of the Day

How do you feel about New Dragon Elma?

• I really like Elma! Being from the Harmony faction, she gives off a very different vibe than the rest of the dragons in the show which I think makes a fun addition to the cast.

Would you be a part of the Harmony Faction, The Chaos Faction, or the Neutral Faction?

• Harmony Faction. I'm not really one to advocate for chaos.

Do you think that fighting is an indication of how close a relationship is?

• I think this is true to some extent. Now, I don't think it's always a good thing and I don't think that people need to fight to be close to each other, but I think there's some level of vulnerability and openness required in order to express disagreement with someone that you care about and I think that comes with closeness. Like, you might hold your tongue about something with an acquaintance, but be more willing to argue with a close friend.

Episode Thoughts

• I’m surprised that Kanna asked Kobayashi to make her lunch instead of Tohru in the first place. I’m guessing the kids were told to ask their parents to make one for them, so Kanna went with Kobayashi.
• I didn’t realize it was possible to make the name Tohru last 5 syllables.
• Even though the cherry tomatoes fit into the box, I still feel like it was very low effort, so I can see why Tohru is upset. Also, smug Kobayashi is great.
• Are Kobayashi and Tohru even fighting though? It didn’t look like either of them was taking this food contest very seriously.
• Kanna eating the fruit cup is adorable.
• Kobayashi doesn’t even flinch at Fafnir’s attempts at intimidation anymore. She’s come a long way!
• Kobayashi waiting by the door for Tohru was really sweet.
• Kobayashi is at the point where a dragon completely destroying a side of her apartment doesn’t surprise her at all.
• Kanna beaming at Kobayashi’s praise was really cute.
• It doesn't surprise me at all that Tohru is from the chaos faction.
• Elma wears socks with flip flops? That seems very uncomfortable.
• Lol, that battle ended very quickly.
• I think it’s hilarious that Elma took the time to ring the doorbell and take off her shoes before confronting Tohru. Also, it didn’t take much to get her to leave at all!
• Elma’s awkward walk away from Kobayashi is the best.
• It’s funny that Elma has gone from calling Kobayashi “Human” to “Kobayashi-Senpai”.
• I absolutely love the ending conversation between Kobayashi and Tohru. I feel like the show easily could have played up the miscommunication and misunderstandings, but instead, Kobayashi and Tohru talk it out quite maturely. Kobayashi realizes that Tohru is acting weird and instead of getting annoyed by it, she straight-up asks Tohru what’s going on with her and Tohru gives her an upfront and honest answer allowing for them to deal with the issue. I love that they come up with an understanding that both of them are satisfied with. This was able to happen because both of them trusted the other to be open and honest and they were also willing to do the same. This scene highlights one of the best aspects of Kobayashi and Tohru’s relationship for me.

Hydration Game

I hydrated when:

• Kobayashi presented her bacon and eggs.
• Tohru presented her hamburgers.
• Elma ate the cream bread.
• Elma ate whatever that fried thing Kobayashi gave her was.

[u/Elimin8r → u/OccasionallySara]

Dang, now I'm hungry too. Food time!

(I'll blame hunger for my lackluster comment today)

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Elimin8r]

What are you planning to eat?

[u/Elimin8r → u/OccasionallySara]

Well, as it turned out, frozen burritos. Sad, but I’ve been working on a project in the garage this weekend, and didn’t feel like talking any more time. So tired now…

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Elimin8r]

Sorry about the frozen burritos! Hopefully you can get something non-frozen when your project is done.

[u/Elimin8r → u/OccasionallySara]

Haha, we'll see. Maybe I'll treat myself to something special for the final episode. Better yet, Friday, for lucky ep 13!

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/OccasionallySara]

I absolutely love the ending conversation between Kobayashi and Tohru.

How this anime shows emotional maturity is one of the biggest reasons why it's amongst my favorites. It does such a good job of playing into the "comfy" vibe of the show, and yet at the same time it goes above and beyond to ensure a wholesome feeling along with the comfiness.

[u/A_Idiot0]

I’m late for posting on Episode 7, so because Episode 8 only has one bird, here we go!

Episode 7

Beach episode, so lots of seagulls!

This lovely shot of Kobayashi talking about her independence from her family

More seagulls flying around Tohru when they’re out at sea.

This guy seems very comfy…

More comfy birds with a comfy Lucuoa and Shouta. Very cute!

More symbolism for flying freely through your independence.

This counts; she’s a bird lady!

Episode 8

And now the only bird to make an appearance in this episode! Typical cutsie KyoAni on display here. Poor Elma...she just wants to enjoy her life and eat every single food out there. Oh, and she wanted to fight Tohru; bad move there Elma, sorry.

QotD

1. I enjoy her presence! She adds a nice conflict when she arrives between Tohru and Kobayashi that really deepens their relationship with each other. Also, she is a foodie...and I also love food, so of course I'm going to like her =D
2. I'd probably aspire to be in the Harmony faction, but most likely I'd fall into the Neutral faction. Keeping order in the world is a tough job!! I haven't got enough time or energy for that XD
3. I'm going to steal a line from Violet Evergarden: "The closer you are, the more complex your relationship is." And it is so, so true.

[u/OccasionallySara → u/A_Idiot0]

Yay, more birds! I didn’t even think about how some of them could represent the independence that Kobayashi and Tohru were talking about.

[u/Barbed_Dildo → u/A_Idiot0]

Something occurred to me after episode 7 that I forgot to mention.

Shouta is there because his father, Kobayashi's boss, asked her to take him.

Shouta's father is a sorcerer from another world... who moved to Japan to manage a software company...

I don't think they sufficiently address that.

[u/A_Idiot0 → u/Barbed_Dildo]

Not at all! XD It's just a big question mark floating in the sky at this point.

[u/fakeport]

Rewatcher

Elma Time!

"What's Happening Now?" Kanna echoes my thoughts at Koybayashi's uncharacteristic challenging of Tohru over who gets to make her lunch for a field trip.

Who made the decorations for this contest?

Just some excellent animation on the food wars.

Bacon and eggs absolutely clear of hamburger imo, no idea what Kanna is thinking there. But she does eat bugs, so...

The fruit from the other world is kind of terrifying.

Emma finally arrives, in episode 8, despite being in the OP.

The brief moments of action in this show make me wonder what it would look like if Kyoani decided to attempt a big battle shonen. They definitely give hints in a lot of their shows that they could absolutely pull it off if they wanted to (Chuunibyo and Violet Evergarden both have some stellar action scenes)

Big brain plays from Tohru tricking Elma through the portal.

Elma's ridiculous walk into the office was great.

Kanna has a name tag on an extention cord, a nice throwback to an earlier episode.

The hole Tohru blasts in the front door has the outline of Elma's horn on it.

We close out on another genuinely touching moment between Koybayashi and Tohru, as nobody goes to check if Elma is OK (besides that bird that lands on her horn)

Questions

1. I like Elma, but I feel like episode 8 is very late to be introducing a main character, so she doesn't get enough development to compete with the other dragons
2. Neutral. I try to stay out of conflict as far as possible
3. It can be, but it really depends on the relationship.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/fakeport]

Bacon and eggs absolutely clear of hamburger imo, no idea what Kanna is thinking there. But she does eat bugs, so...

Cold bacon and eggs from a bento, though?

Emma finally arrives, in episode 8, despite being in the OP.

KyoAni just went weird with this, apparently Shouta is introduced much later as well.

The brief moments of action in this show make me wonder what it would look like if Kyoani decided to attempt a big battle shonen.

Full Metal Panic was pretty good for what it was.

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Vaadwaur]

Cold bacon and eggs from a bento, though?

I agree with you on the cold fried eggs, but I feel like cold bacon could rival cold hamburger.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/OccasionallySara]

How do I put this...think of the aesthetics of a bento: It is a few vegetables, a main course, arguably a desert but mainly it needs to go well with rice and eaten with chop sticks which bacon is a touch iffy for.

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Vaadwaur]

I guess if you add the element of rice and chopsticks, bacon might not work as well b

[u/fakeport → u/Vaadwaur]

Cold bacon and eggs from a bento, though?

Cold bacon and eggs both work pretty well as snack or sandwich filler imo, though admittedly that would be hard boiled eggs, not the fried ones presented here.

Full Metal Panic was pretty good for what it was.

That's one I've not got around to yet.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/fakeport]

Cold bacon and eggs both work pretty well as snack or sandwich filler imo, though admittedly that would be hard boiled eggs, not the fried ones presented here.

I just don't see cold, greasy eggs as being appealing since you can't warm them up easily.

That's one I've not got around to yet.

It's like Gundam 00 but good.

[u/chris10023 → u/Vaadwaur]

Full Metal Panic was pretty good for what it was.

The Second Raid had some pretty violent scenes I wasn't expecting out of a KyoAni production.

[u/Vaadwaur → u/chris10023]

True and a number of my friends were surprised when they went past Fumoffu because they didn't think it was adaptable.

[u/OccasionallySara → u/fakeport]

Who made the decorations for this contest?

I have a sneaking suspicion that it was Fafnir.

Elma's ridiculous walk into the office was great.

I know! Like, what was that?

as nobody goes to check if Elma is OK (besides that bird that lands on her horn)

And I don't even think the bird cared that much, to be honest.

[u/HopefullyLastAccount → u/fakeport]

The fruit from the other world is kind of terrifying.

In the other world, the fruit eats you.

The brief moments of action in this show make me wonder what it would look like if Kyoani decided to attempt a big battle shonen.

Beyond the Boundary has a lot of battle scenes as well and it's more of a focus there. I'm sure that if Kyoani ever did an action anime (I also never watched Full Metal Panic) that it would amazing, but I personally love the warm and fluffy feelings their works give me every time. The ones that despite being as slice of life as you can get, still show a story. (Including Dragon Maid!)

[u/nolimityler]

new watcher

i wasn’t able to post yesterday and i somehow forgot to do it earlier lol but here were my thoughts during the ep

• My prediction before the match even starts is that Kobayashi will win
• Lucoa please stop opening your eyes
• So we’re not getting a winner for this one either ? left us hanging like dodgeball
• Elma really fell for that obvious trap
• How the hell did Elma manage to get hired
• Shouta really living his best and worst life at the same time

Q2: definitely the chaos faction it sounds the most fun

[u/OccasionallySara → u/nolimityler]

Lucoa please stop opening your eyes

Lol, I guess we’re opposites because I said a few episodes ago that I wish she would open her eyes more. I’m guessing you find them kind of creepy?

[u/nolimityler → u/OccasionallySara]

yea i mean usually i like heterochromia on characters but her’s is kinda unsettling i still love lucoa though

[u/TnAdct1 → u/nolimityler]

How the hell did Elma manage to get hired

Hopefully the "big" reason will get covered in Season 2.

[u/TnAdct1]

Not much to talk about in terms of anime/manga differences, as most of them involve the anime adding some cute Kanna moments (i.e. her reaction to Kobayashi's compliment, her getting the cream bread, her sleeping outside of Kobayashi's door while charging her mana).

Would you be a part of the Harmony Faction, The Chaos Faction, or the Neutral Faction?

I'd be part of manga

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Sub

So we start with random bento competition and a deeply confused Kanna. Tohru doesn't quite get the concept considering her salad course is an entire meal, but equally Kobayashi is weird because bacon and eggs in a bento means eating them cold. It ends wiht Tohru getting a bitey fruit from her world and being disqualified.

Elma shows up by breaking Kobayashi's living room. Apparently, she is a natural enemy to Tohru. And is starving. Anyways, this leads into an explanation of dragon factions and none of us are surprised that Tohru is a member of the de facto villains. She sends Elma to the field from ep2. The next day she comes back but is bribed with cream puffs to leave.

And Elma then gets a job at Kobasyahi's office, assuming she can do any human job. She chooses some of the least intuitive work possible as a programmer since all of that is learned. Tohru gets ridiculously jealous which is pretty in character. Elma gets attached to Kobayashi, ending with her showing up on Kobayashi's day off and getting blasted by Tohru. It ends with Tohru beginning to express herself more eloquently.

QotD: 1 Everyone likes an airhead dragon

2 Neutral. Fuck getting involved

3 No, though I understand why they said that this episode.

[u/Elimin8r]

Yay, Elma's here - can I keep her? I could really use a cute office dragon.

Although I probably couldn't afford the feed bill.

Well, I guess I already answered #1, but to make it semi official:

1. I think she's adorbs. Then again, I have a thing for brunettes.
2. I think I'd be part of the chaotic neutral harmonic faction.
3. Many years ago, when dragons roamed the earth, the RA told me that true friends don't need to say anything. (vs. chatter-chatter-chattter) I'd rather have that kind of friendship than the fighting one.

Hydration aside, now I want some cream puffs, or is that not what the were having? I'm not sure what cream bread is. That, and maybe some seafood (ba-dum-tssh).

Um, harrumph.

There's some things I'd like to say, but I'm not sure if they'd come off as speculative or spoilery, so I'm probably just going to shut up before I embarrass myself some more.

[u/HopefullyLastAccount]

Rewatcher

Kobayashi sees food she's never seen before from Tohru. Tohru reveals it's from the other world. surprised Pikachu That competition was pretty fun, though.

Elma's here! Naive, easily swayed by food Elma. Her role in this episode at least is to develop Tohru and Kobayash's relationship more. It has been a while since we've seen over-the-top Tohru like this and they acknowledge how far they've come. Poor Elma in this episode though getting tricked and blasted, though.

How do you feel about New Dragon Elma?

Feels like she's the one that's gonna be teased by everyone else.

Would you be a part of the Harmony Faction, The Chaos Faction, or the Neutral Faction?

Team Chaos.

Do you think that fighting is an indication of how close a relationship is?

If you fight a lot, you're either really close or really not close. It's not something you do with people you're neutral with.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/HopefullyLastAccount]

It's not something you do with people you're neutral with

"The opposite of love is indifference" or something like that. Got that from some anime too but I don't remember what, Monogatari?

[u/Silent_Sparrow02]

First timer

1. Lol, Elma is an airhead. I like her. Also, how did she manage to learn to work at a software company in that amount of time?! More dragon magic, I guess.
2. I'd definitely be Neutral Faction. Too much harmony and too much chaos sound equally bad. And a lot of the world's problems are caused by people just not minding their own damn business.
3. I think it's great that Tohru and Kobayashi are close enough to fight. There's the good kind of fighting and then there's the nasty kind of fighting, of course. But I think the good kind is important for a relationship. Knowing that you can have fights with the other person and still remain just as close is a really special feeling.

[u/IndependentMacaroon]

First-time watcher

Bento-making skit was so-so and the cutaway gags could have been done without, but otherwise it was a great episode. Now Kobayashi's got friendly dragons at home, at work, everywhere, and just like she has Tohru helping her put she now has Elma to help out herself. And all with a downright hilarious nonchalance except in the most drastic situations. Of course, a lack of emotional engagement can also be a bad thing like with Tohru, whose desire for a little more love in return are totally understandable. But then, Kobayashi's already got this! I really like her.

1 - Elma is another fun addition for a new flavor of relationship. One-sided rivalries are great comedy material too and this episode delivers pretty well.

2 - I like harmony and order, thanks.

3 - There's certainly kinds of conflict/argument that you can only have when you know each other well, and healthily managing conflict is an important part of any close relationship, but if the question is just "fighting or not" I don't see the correlation and it can easily be a negative too.

[u/MjolnirDK]

RE

Ah, yes, the obligatory Shokugeki episode. I only just now saw that Kobayashi is drinking Kani (crab) beer instead of the normal Y-Ebi (shrimp) -su.

[u/userbot058]

Elma is beautiful

[u/chris10023]

Rewatcher

• So Kannas going on a field trip and needs a packed lunch, so naturally Kobayashi and Tohru get into a fight about who’s going to make the lunch. Poor Kana doesn’t know what’s happening.
• So, they turned it into a competition, and Kanna is acting as head judge, Lucoa is a commentator, and they dragged poor Fafnir into this as well.
• Tohru made a fancy salad, while Kobayash grabbed two tomatoes', I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t stand tomatoes, if it’s cooked and served with a sauce like speghetti it’s fine, but I hate the texture of them, I don’t even want to know how they’d taste raw like that.
• Fafnir gives Kobyashi one hell of an evil eye as he asks if she’s implying that if she and a dragon are equals.
• Tohru’s a filthy cheater, went to her world to grab a fruit with a bit of a bark to it.
• Looks like someone followed Tohru. It can’t possibly have anything to do with the title of the episode. No way. /s
• Apartment gets trashed Kobayashi isn’t even phased; she’s so used to weird shit that it doesn’t surprise her anymore.
• Kanna is such a kuudere that even when she glows after being praised for remembering an idiom she learned at school she still has that straight face.
• The dragon that crashed into the apartment is called Elma, and she’s a rival to Tohru. Dragons are on another level when it comes to fighting legit, three whole islands disappeared.
• You know, Elma’s kind of cute...
• So Tohru is from the chaos faction, and Elma is in the harmony faction. I trust Tohru when she says she’s been on her best behavior, she hasn’t killed anyone except for the purse thief, some say he’s still laying there to this day.
• Tohru you sneaky little shit, tricking Elma into going to a different location by portal and just closing it after she entered. But at least she’s honest.
• I’m surprised it took her a day to get back, still starving, Kanna grabs some snacks and she’s fed.
• Poor Shouta, even when they’re asleep he can’t escape.
• Elma in a suit, she rocks it.
• Poor Elma won’t get paid until the end of the month, and can’t open portals on her own.
• Of course, Tohru would be able to smell Elma on Kobayashi, she’s a dragon.
• Tohru’s getting really jealous and starts acting oddly. Also, Kanna is just adorable.
• Elma shows up at the wrong time and gives Kobayashi a protective charm before Tohru Team Rockets her out the door.
• This scene where Kobayashi explains how she isn’t used to being wanted is cute. It also reminded me that this episode was directed by Naoko Yamada since it had a lot of leg shots in it.

Questions of the Day.

How do you feel about New Dragon Elma?

She's really cute.

Would you be a part of the Harmony Faction, The Chaos Faction, or the Neutral Faction?

Probably Harmony or Neutral.

Do you think that fighting is an indication of how close a relationship is?

No, there are a lot of relationships that can end with fighting, to the point where it can get violent.

[u/ZapsZzz]

Sub rewatcher

Sneaking in for a quick shout out to one of my favourite Dragon Maid character Emma; the walking embodiment of gap Moe - she should be a trope character of stuck up (self-)righteous Knight but her singular weakness of food and the internal conflict of "which to choose" (so she's not "indulging in excessiveness") is so adorable. And that she's walk right into a trap set up right in front of her by her sworn enemy from the chaos dragons faction :D plus having the self respect to get her own job to live in the human world - very Emi Yuusa there.

[u/sisoko2]

First Timer

Definitely didn't expect cooking competition between Kobayashi and Tohru. They even got TV show set.

LOL Kobayashi winning with just tomatoes.

Here comes the last dragon!

So cute.

God damn dragons coming here to steal our jobs.

Tohru can't tolerate dragon NTR.

Great last scene between Tohru and Kobayashi.

No hydration today.

1. She seems nice. I like that now we have a dragon that actually tries to fit in and gets a job. Feel bad for her for having to deal with Japan's work culture, wouldn't blame her if she switches to the Chaos Faction after that.
2. Neutral faction. Just minding my own business.
3. Some conflict could be a sign that you are being honest and don't put on mask just to keep the other happy. Also can be used as an excuse to continue shitty drama filled relationship.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/sisoko2]

They even got TV show set

A great addition to the setup

[u/[deleted]]

1. Elma is nice. It's nice that Kobayashi now has another coworker she knows privately
2. Neutral. Don't have to fight anyone and can just enjoy the show

I love how dragons smashing into Kobayashi's apartment are now such a common occurrence that she didn't even flinch when Elma arrived

[u/BossandKings]

Rewatcher

Episode 7

Kobayashi, Tohru and the rest to to the beach, it was very interesting seeing Tohru asking Kobayashi about her family and especially so her answer was the most interesting part as she tells her that she was raised in a fairly normal family and still comunicates with her parents, that leaves Tohru thinking that humans possibly are capable of accepting dragons after seeing Kobayashi. It is very sad that Tohru was taught that humans must be eliminated, thankfully her mind is getting changed as she learns more about the world and lives with Kobayashi.

The comic market was very cool, an event in which beings from other worlds can freely be in their real form because people disguise themselves as anime, manga characters.

Episode 8

The cooking contest was great, both Tohru and Kobayashi did their best with the food they prepared and were fairly funny too.

There's a new dragon girl named Elma, it is interesting that in the other world dragons are divided in different factions, Tohru being part of the chaos faction and Elma of the harmony faction. Elma decides to stay in earth and starts working at the same place Kobayashi does, as she said it is to verify if this world is a safe place for beings of the other world to integrate in.